Portable charcoal broiler



June 6, 1950 A. s. BETTENCOURT 2,510,856

PORTABLE CHARCOAL BROILER Filed March 11, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 dlfred5.5cttencour-t Saverzbor 23 CLbbor-aeg June 6, 1950 A. s. BETTENCOURT2,510,356

PORTABLE CHARCOAL BROILER Filed larch 11, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheef 3 GZfred5.2Jetterzcourt CSrzventor Qtborrzag Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

Application March 11, 1948, Serial No. 14,312

6 Claims.

This invention relates to portable charcoal broilers which may be usedfor broiling steaks, chops, fowl, and the like, directly on the diningtable indoors.

Portable outdoor charcoal broilers are available on the market, but theyare unsuitable for indoor use for a number of reasons. In the firstplace, such units are large and bulky and are easily upset, therebycreating a, dangerous fire hazard. In the second place, they employ abed of burning charcoal directly underneath the material broiled, andthus not only cause excessive smoking, spattering and vaporization of Ifatty materials, but the smoke and burned and decomposed fat is allowedto contact the material broiled, so that the taste of said material isadverselyafiected thereby. In the third place, outdoor broilers entailconsiderable loss of heat by convection and radiation to the air, sothat the material to be broiled is usually unevenly heated, therebyresulting in overheated and underheated portions, or else considerableturning of the broiled material must be undertaken during the broilingoperation.

Another difliculty is the control of the burning i of the charcoal.There are many other disadvantages which will be referred to in thecourse of the present discussion.

The objects of the present invention include the provision of a compact,stable broiler which is easy to carry and which gives practically nosmoke or fume or spattering, and which gives a uniform distributed heatover the material broiled, as well as a uniformly regulated charcoalflre. r

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to thedrawings in which Figure 1 illustrates a side view of one embodiment ofthe invention. An end view along 2-2 of Figure 1 is shown in Figure 2.Figure 3 shows a side View of another embodiment and Figure 4 shows anend view thereof similar to that in Figure 2. A top view of the hangerfor the material to be broiled is shown in Figure 5, while Figure 6illustrates an isometric view of a charcoal grate used a in the broilershown in Figures 1-2. Similar numerals'refer to similar parts .in thevarious fig- Referring again 'to the drawings, numeral I represents anouter shell of a fire resistantmaterial such as aluminum,'stainlesssteel, or-the like, having apolished'slirface, the thickness 'of theshell being about'fii" to' A. This 'sh'ell'is provided with legs 3 and asplit top, the split 1 being along the whole length of the shell. 55

Hinges 2 are provided on each side of the shell to allow opening of thetwo upper sections at the split, and a split handle, made up ofhalf-sections 5 and 6 allows carrying of the shell by hand after the topis closed, and also facilitates opening of the split top.

Shell I is also provided at the'sides with horizontal openings 18 whichallow access of air to the burning charcoal 22 in grates 20. Betweenhinges 2 are situated openings 30 serving as vents for combustion gasesproduced by the burning charcoal 22.

Inside shell I is shell I4, also made of fire resistant material,preferably aluminum or stainless steel, the side walls and upper sectionof which are separated from outer shell I by air space I9, about A" toin width. Inside shell I4 is also provided with a horizontal slot I8 injuxtaposition with slot I8 of outer shell I and serving to allow ingressof air for combustion of charcoal 22. The upper edge I! of the innershell I4 at opening I8 is bent outwardly toward shell I to minimizecirculation of air between the two shells in space I9.

Lower edge 9 of the outer shell at opening I8 is bent inwardly to act asa support for bottom ID of inner shell I4. The inner shell I4 is alsoprovided with open upper portion beginning from edge I2 to allowinsertion into the inner shell of materialto be broiled. The uppersection corners 45 of the inner shell is rounded off to serve as heatreflectors for reflecting and focusing the heat rays upon the upperportion of the material 29 to be broiled. The inner surface of shell I4is also preferably polished to facilitate reflection. Also, the centerportionsof the edge sections of inner shell I 4 are provided withgrooves I5 for holding hanging rod Ifi which allows hanging of material29 to be broiled, equidistant between the two grates 20.- These gratesare preferably long and narrow units disposed on the bottom Ill andalong the sides ,of inner shellv I4 adjacent openings Ill. :The gratesare preferably of coarse metal screen welded together to give bottom 42,ends 43 and 44 and side 21! (Figure 6). The side 2| adjacent thematerial 29 to be broiled is preferably of solid metal sheet to preventoverheating of the bottom portion of broiling material 29 and to preventdropping of ashes into drip pan 23. Between grates 20 on bottom I ofshell I4 is disposed drip-pan 23 serving to catch the drippings frommaterial 29 as it is broiled. Both the grates and the drip pan may beremoved from shells I4 and I through opening 46 in shell I4 and door 41in the end of shell I. Electric coils 24 may be placed in grates 20 toinitiate or aid in the combustion of the charcoal 22, the coils beingmade incandescent by plugging in cord 25 into an electrical outlet.

The material 29 to be broiled, which may be steak, chops, fowl, etc. isclamped in holder 26 which is made of two grill plates 26 between whichis placed the steak 29. The top and bottom grill rods have extending andoutwardly bent ends 28 over which are slipped rings 21 which holdtightly the steak between the two grill plates. The size of the rings isadjusted for the thickness of the steak so that the steak is always heldfirmly in the holder. Hanging rod I6 is slipped through the two upperrings 21 and rod I6 is then slipped through opening l2 of inner shell M(with cover 4 of outer shell I open), and hung in grooves [5 on the endsof inner shell I4. Hanging rod l6 may be provided with notches or bendsat points 40 under rings 21 to prevent slippage of the rings along thelength of the hanging rod. I I I I I In Figures 3 and l is shown abroiler provided with twoormoretiers of grates to accommodate large cutsof meat and to give better heat distribution over the material broiled.Theouter casing or shell l is provided with two openings 8 and 3| injuxtaposition with openings 18 and 32 in inner shell if and serving tofeed air to the charcoal in grates 20. I I I 1 The lower tier of gratesis set on projecting ledge 33 and stand tl, while the second or highertier is set on ledge 33' and, support 3d, the lower polished surface 36of which serves as a reflector for the heat from lowerg rate 2B. Raisededge 35; is provided on support 34 to facilitate housing of the uppergrate. Upper corner 38 of inner shell I4 is rounded off to provide areflecting and focusing surface for the radiant heat issuing fromthermal in the upper tier of grates;

Holes afl' are provided in the upper section of outer shell I to serveas vents for combustion gases. The grates are preferably inserted-intothe broiler through an enddoor (not shown). Unless otherwise specified,it is preferred to employ a stainlessmetal such as stainless steel,aluminu n or magnesium as the material of construction. Legs 3 arepreferably placed on a metal tray (not shown) which, in turn, ispreferably placed on an asbestos pad (not shown). It is possible to cutout the center portion of bottomlfiand place the drip pan 23 underbottom HL if desired. II I As is apparent from the foregoing the presentinvention provides a convenient portable charcoal broiler which givesoff practically no smoke or; grease spattering, since the drippings donot fall on the burning charcoal, but into the drip pan, thereby makingavailable a gravy stock, as well. Furthermore, the reflecting surfacesand the positioning means for the material broiled enable the generationof I an even heat over the entire surface of the material, therebyinsuring an evenly cooked steak or chop of superior taste andappearance. I

Although a double shell broiler of the type discl o sed is desirablefrom the sanitary, heating and handling viewpoints-, it is pointed outhere that a single shell I insulated on the inside or outside andprovided with a bottom and hanging means is within the purview of thisinvention but is not as satisfactory. It is also understood that theopenings, slots and vents may be provided with adjustable louvres orcovers to vary the volume of gas entering or leaving therein.

I claim:

1. In a portable charcoal broiler comprising a box-shaped shell havingsides and a top and in the center of which is suspended the material tobe broiled between the heating means enclosed in grates, said broilerbeing provided with a dripcollecting receptacle under the material to bebroiled, the improvement comprising a thin inner shell disposed withinthe box-shaped shell and insulated therefrom on the sides and top, anopening in the top of said inner shell in which the material to bebroiled is suspended, narrow grates adjacent the inner side walls ofsaid inner shell for holding the burning charcoal acting astheheatingmeans, slots disposed substantially along the whole length ofboth shells adjacent said grates and serving as air inlets, slotsdisposed substantially along the whole length of the upperportions ofboth shells and serving-as vents for combustion gases, door in the topof the box-shaped outer shell to allow' entry therein immediately abovethe opening in the top of the inner shell, said inner shell havingcurved upper corner walls acting as reflectors for reflecting the heatupon the material to be broiled.

,2. A portable broiler according to eiaim n which the inner shell isinsulated from the outer shell by an air space II I I I 3. A portablebroilr according to claim 2 in which the sides are provided with legsand the legs have bent strips projecting therefrom under the bottom ofthe inner shell serving as supports for saidinner shell. I i

4. A portable broiler according to claim 1 in which the upper portion ofthe shellis centrally split lengthwise along theshell and also at nearthe widest portion of the top section on each side, each split sectionis hinged to the side of the shell to provide a centrally opening hingedtop portion, and a handle at the top of each portion.

v5. Aportable broiler according to claim 4 which the handle is splitlengthwise at the top split of the upper shell, each half of the handlebeing attached to its respective half of the shell top at the split. I I

6. A portable broiler according to claim 1 in which the inner surface ofthe side walls of the inner shell have a curved projecting support eX-tending from above the lower slots overthe grate and serving as areflectorfor heat radiatingfroni said grate, a ledge coacting with theupper end of said support to act as an additional support for a grate, agrate resting therebetween, and an opening adjacent said grate in bothshells to serveasanairinlet. 4 H

ALFRED s. BETTENC'OURT.

I REFERENCES new The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Watson Dec. 24, 1940

